Freed Russian opposition figure Yashin clarifies controversial call for ‘negotiations’
Read NV on Google
Russian opposition leader Ilya Yashin, who was released from a Russian prison on Aug. 1 during a prisoner exchange between Washington and Moscow, said he never meant to suggest that Ukraine should negotiate a humiliating peace with Russia.
He made this clarification during an interview with Russian blogger Yury Dud on Aug. 12.
Yashin admitted that his initial comment to Russia’s TV Rain, where he said, "Russia and Ukraine need to sit down at the negotiating table," was poorly phrased.
He stated that after two years of imprisonment, he was "out of context" and did not anticipate that his words would be perceived as spreading "Kremlin’s narrative."
He affirmed that his position has not changed since 2014 and that he "calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory."
“Only Ukraine can decide when and in what format negotiations should take place,” said Yashin.
“I did not mean that Ukraine should trade its territories for peace. I meant that sooner or later, some peace talks must begin, in a format acceptable to the Ukrainian side. It is unlikely that Ukraine will discuss ceding its territories at these negotiations.”
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
